No Regrets
by AngelWing1138
Summary: It didn't matter if he was in the past or the future, Yamamoto Takeshi did not let himself regret...anything. 8027
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Bahaha! Finally, the type of story I personally wanted to write ever since I started reading this series (a few short weeks ago)! This is my ship, and if you are reading this, you either ship it or you can come to terms with it to want to read a different kind of story. Though I'm sure this sort of plotline has been used before, I do not care. I have not seen it and I wanted to write _something_ with these two. No one will stop me. Bahaha! Anyhow, this is my first chapter story for KHR, and I hope that whoever you are, you enjoy this. As I am putting a lot of effort into it.

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Characters and Places belong to Akira Amano.

* * *

It was like with that one shot everything had gone on mute.

He watched in silent horror as the man stumbled back, holding his chest with wide honey coloured eyes as if unsure of what had really happened just then. He couldn't move, he couldn't look away, he couldn't yell out _Run!_; all he could do was watch as hundreds of silent bullets sank into pale flesh causing rich, ripe red to pulse out like an explosion of paint. It was as if the entire scene were a silent film gone horribly wrong.

Then, as though someone had pressed the button on a remote control after realizing belatedly that they had no sound, all the noise in the surrounding area returned in a brain-bleeding shriek of chaos.

Explosions went off behind him, scorching his back and turning his ears red while off to the side people screamed through illusionary nightmares of demons eating their flesh and crawling into their bodies. He turned back to his own opponent who was taking his momentary distraction as an advantage, slicing through him with Shigure Kintoki. Quickly scanning the immediate area around him and finding no one else near him, he rushed through the momentary hell that was the middle of the street towards the fallen body in the middle. He dropped to his knees, sword collapsing to the ground as he took in the grotesque painting before him.

No, no, no, no, _no_…

"This can't be happening. I'm having a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare that I should've woken up from by now," he whispered, wrapping shaking arms around the convulsing body, still bleeding thick, red life so freely. "Please…_please_ don't let this be real."

Honey eyes, so soft and gentle and caring even in pandemonium, turned to look up at him with bleary confusion; a smiled stretched over shaking lips dripping with blood as recognition dully flashed through those wide irises.

"…I knew you'd be the one…to come for me first…" The voice was weak and trembling, reverting back to a child-like time when the biggest problem was wondering when teams for gym were going to be called and who was going to be the last one picked. His mouth screwed into a painful smile, his eyes pained by the voice. "Thank you…for being here for me…Takeshi-kun…"

Yamamoto Takeshi watched as Sawada Tsunayoshi closed his eyes and went still; the picture of peace in the middle of hell. All the sounds around him turned to white noise; something that sounded like glass breaking went through his ears.

Yet the only sound he heard was his own screaming.

* * *

"Hey Tsuna! Did you do the homework?"

14-year-old Yamamoto Takeshi grinned as one of his best friends and flunking buddy Sawada Tsunayoshi (called Tsuna for short) gave him a panicked look and flailed, shrieking that he didn't know about the homework. He laughed lightly, not a care in the world, as he watched his other best friend and class genius Gokudera Hayato (self-proclaimed 'right-hand man' of Tsuna) offered to give Tsuna his homework so that the brunet wouldn't get detention. Looking away from the two as Tsuna started to try and convince Gokudera that he didn't need to do something like that and he deserved any detention he got, Yamamoto let the two become background noise like a television or a radio. His eyes landed on something that seemed off to him, then, and he cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Hey, where's Sasagawa?"

Tsuna and Gokudera suddenly stopped talking as they looked over to Yamamoto in question, wondering what he was asking about. Tsuna then took that moment to glance over the classroom, honey coloured eyes widening even more than usual when he noticed what Yamamoto had noticed.

"Kyoko-chan's not here today? I wonder if something happened…" The young looking 14-year old pouted worriedly, looking around again as if seeing if the girl he had a crush on was just hiding behind a desk or something.

"Kyoko's sick." The three boys looked over at the new person, Tsuna blinking as Kurokawa Hana stood in front of him, arms crossed and a frown on her lips. "She got a cold or something the other day. It got worse this morning when she was getting ready for school. Her older brother skipped out on school so that he could take care of her." She then eyed them suspiciously, dark eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do _you_ care, Yamamoto?"

"Hm?" Yamamoto looked at her with raised eyebrows, before smiling lightly. "I can worry about a fellow classmate, can't I? I also consider Sasagawa to be a friend of mine." He shrugged, his arms crossing behind his head. "Why so protective, Kurokawa?"

"Hm," Hana narrowed her eyes a little more, before sighing and shrugging, looking away as if she didn't care. "I just think you guys are suspicious, and I don't want Kyoko dragged into whatever it is that you're doing. Whatever." She walked away then, leaving the three of them to stare after her in surprise to her comment.

"We're…suspicious?" Tsuna asked in a small voice, eyes wide. "W-why are _we_ suspicious?!"

"You aren't suspicious at all, Tenth! If anything, that _woman_ is the suspicious one! She's always looking at us funny, as if she knows something or whatever!" Gokudera shot a glare at Hana's back, seemingly displeased over the fact that she seemed to have upset Tsuna. "I don't trust her…Should we get rid of her?" He looked at Tsuna then with a smile, one hand sneaking into his back pocket, probably grabbing a few of the usual sticks of dynamite. Tsuna was quick to grab onto Gokudera's arm, however, telling him quickly that they did _not_ need to do anything drastic like that.

Yamamoto smiled at their antics, amused as always, before turning to look at Hana as she spoke to a couple of her friends on the other side of the classroom. Was it possible that Hana knew about their 'mafia game'? He pursed his lips in thought, staring over her shoulder for a moment before shrugging to himself. Ah well. It didn't matter either way.

He turned back to his friends just in time to see Tsuna crying out as Gokudera flung dynamite out the window, supposedly because Tsuna had fallen into him, causing him to stumble and haphazardly toss the dangerous toys.

He laughed good-naturedly as the dynamite went off outside the window, thinking that it was just another day at Namimori middle school.

* * *

"I can't believe our luck, Tenth! The teacher was so upset about dynamite blowing up outside of his window that he didn't even think of checking our homework! Isn't it great? Now you won't have detention!"

Gokudera grinned proudly as he said this, hands on his hips and legs spread apart, as if he had planned the entire thing all along. Which, knowing the Italian boy, was very far off the mark. He might've been extremely intelligent and pretty good at thinking up plans of defence on the fly, but the exploding dynamite had been a fluke. No need to bring that detail up, though.

"Now you can go see how Sasagawa's doing, Tsuna," Yamamoto said with a grin, standing beside him and grinning as always. "You were worried about her since you learned she was sick, right? What if we brought her something to cheer her up? I'm sure she'd like that."

"O-oh?" Tsuna looked up at Yamamoto with a slight flush, embarrassed that he had been read so easily by his taller baseball-playing friend. "Hey, you're right! That is a good idea!" He grinned then, fisting his hand in determination. "But…what should we get her?"

"I dunno, flowers? A card?"

"Pfft, good answer baseball-idiot," Gokudera snorted, put-out because Tsuna was paying more attention to Yamamoto instead of him. "Why would the Tenth get something so clichéd as _flowers_ or a _card_?" He rolled his eyes, before grinning at Tsuna. "The Tenth will think of something way better than either of those!"

"Huh? Uhm…but…I think bringing her flowers or a card is a good idea. I mean, cards are always nice…and girls like flowers…" The brunet scratched the back of his head, looking thoughtful. "Does a get well gift have to be original to be thoughtful…?"

"E-eh?! No, of course not! I mean, if the Tenth thinks that that flowers is a good idea, then it's definitely a good idea!!" Gokudera flailed, eyes wide in a panic as if he were afraid he had insulted Tsuna's pride or something. Tsuna just sighed, smiling at Gokudera before looking up towards the sky. Unconsciously, he started to play with the Vongola ring he wore on a chain around his neck.

"Hmm…I wonder what kind of flowers Kyoko-chan likes…?"

"Why don't we ask the florist in the flower shop? They're supposed to know the secret meanings behind flowers, and maybe they can help you find a flower that Sasagawa would like." Yamamoto suggested grinning as Tsuna nodded in agreement, glancing at Gokudera to see him glaring knives of promised death towards him.

"Alright then! Let's go to the flower shop!" Gokudera proclaimed loudly, marching off in the lead towards the closet flower shop, scaring pedestrians away in his wake. Tsuna muttered something under his breath, rushing after Gokudera so that he wouldn't scare anyone else, leaving Yamamoto to catch up.

He walked at a leisurely pace, fast enough so that he wouldn't lose sight of his friends yet not so fast as to seem to be chasing after them. He had his hands shoved into his uniform's back pockets, his bag over his shoulder and the Vongola ring of the Rain Guardian resting on a chain against his collarbone, much like Tsuna's own ring of Sky. Light eyes glanced up at the sky, noting that there were a few rain clouds moving in from the west; there was probably going to be a storm that night. With that thought in mind, he looked back to his friends to see them waiting for him in front of the shop, Tsuna looking at him curiously and Gokudera looking impatient (as always).

"Sorry! Didn't mean to slow you guys down," he apologized with a grin, stopping in front of them and looking down a bit. Tsuna stared at him for a moment longer, as if he were trying to puzzle something out before he nodded turning and walking in. Gokudera just snorted, turning away from him and walking into the shop after his boss, leaving Yamamoto to walk in after them. He walked in then, nose assaulted by the scent of hundreds of different flowers, ears catching the soft sound of a radio station playing something like country or soft rock. He couldn't tell exactly. He stepped in from the door, glancing around at the different coloured flora before glancing at Tsuna to see him looking at a bunch of daffodils, seeming unsure. Yamamoto smiled a little, knowing that the smaller boy would be too shy to ask the florist in charge of the shop instead.

Before Gokudera came to this same conclusion and scared the poor man, Yamamoto walked over to the elder shop owner, clearing his throat to gain his attention. The man turned around, eyebrows raised to his greying hairline as Yamamoto smiled at him, before the teen bowed in respect. "Excuse me, sir, but my friends and I were just wondering if you could help us find a flower for our friend? She's sick, you see, and we wanted to make her feel better somehow. We don't know her favourite flower, though, so we're in a bit of a predicament."

"Ahh," the florist said, smiling easily. "Alright. We'll see what I can find for you. Why don't you tell me a little bit about this girl?"

"Of course," Yamamoto said, smiling, before turning to look at Tsuna. "Tsuna, you know her better than me. Would you tell him about her?"

"E-eh…? Uhm…okay." Tsuna walked over to them, flushing in embarrassment as he started to tell the florist about Kyoko.

* * *

"Do you think she'll like them?"

Yamamoto and Gokudera looked back at Tsuna, who was walking behind them, as he held the small bouquet of pink and red geraniums carefully, consciously trying not to crush them. He glanced up at the two of them, looking self-conscious as they neared the Sasagawa home where they would present their gift to Kyoko and perhaps say hi to her older brother Ryohei.

"The florist seemed to think so. He said they meant 'comfort'." Yamamoto shrugged, grinning. "Who doesn't want to be comfortable while recuperating?"

"Of course she'll like them, Tenth! After all, you picked them out for her! She'll be amazed at her generosity and have no choice but to like them." Gokudera assured, grinning at him around a cigarette. Tsuna smiled a little then, nodding and catching up to them as they turned onto their friends' residence. "Oh! The Tenth can't knock, since he's got his hands full. I'll do it, as it is my duty to do things for my boss when he is unable to!" Gokudera turned to knock on the door when he saw Yamamoto already knocking, looking relaxed. "What the—?! Dammit, baseball-idiot! I was going to do that!"

"Oh? Sorry. I was just closest," he said, smiling apologetically and shrugging. Gokudera opened his mouth to say something when the door suddenly opened. The boys turned to see the light haired, forever bandaged Sasagawa Ryohei looking at them with wide eyes before he grinned brightly, fisting his hand in front of him.

"Sawada! Octopus head! Baseball guy! It's great to see you guys to the EXTREME!" He greeted loudly and cheerfully, as was his character. Sawada smiled nervously, slowly putting the geraniums behind his back. "What're you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be at home studying or something…to the EXTREME?"

"Uh, well…you see Big Brother, we heard Kyoko-chan was sick," Tsuna said, looking at the Sun Guardian with worried honey coloured eyes. "So we wanted to see how she was doing.

"Oh wow! That's EXTREMELY nice of you guys! Hana was over earlier to give some EXTREME notes from class to Kyoko! Though I think she'd EXTREMELY like to see you guys! Hey Sawada, what'cha hiding behind your back?"

"E-eh…?!" Tsuna stepped back unconsciously as Ryohei came up into his personal space, looking behind him to the flowers. "Oh! These? Uhm…they're…"

"They're a get well present from all of us," Yamamoto piped up, smiling. "We thought that Sasagawa would like them."

"Hey, that was EXTREMELY thoughtful! Why don't you guys come in and give them to her? She'll be EXTREMELY surprised!" And without another word, Ryohei pushed the three boys forcefully into his home, closing the door and leading the way to Kyoko's room once the boys had taken off their shoes. Tsuna fidgeted nervously as Ryohei opened Kyoko's door, whispering in more of an indoor voice than an actual whisper that the three of them wanted to see her, biting his lip when he heard her dry-voice reply.

Yamamoto gently pushed Tsuna into the room then, holding Gokudera back as Tsuna walked in towards Kyoko, having a quiet conversation with the girl. He watched as his friend presented the flowers with a blush, smiling a bit as Kyoko smiled brightly and thanked him in as exuberant a voice as she could muster with a sore throat, before she pointed for Tsuna to put them in a vase conveniently located on her window ledge. Tsuna smiled happily as he went to fill the vase with water and put the flowers in, situating it where Kyoko pointed for him to, before telling her that he hoped she felt better soon. She smiled thankfully, waving to Yamamoto and Gokudera as she noticed them by the door, before she snuggled into her blankets and closed her eyes for a nap.

Ryohei walked them back to the door, grinning as they put their shoes back on. "Sawada, you're such an EXTREMELY nice guy! I'm glad we're EXTREME buds! I'll see you at school, alright? TO THE EXTREME!"

"Haha, of course Big Brother!" Tsuna said with a smile, shouldering his bag quickly. "We'll see you later, then! See ya!" Tsuna waved as they walked away from the front door, Gokudera holding a hand up in acknowledgement and Yamamoto grinning at him. They then started their trek towards Tsuna's home, where they would all split for their own directions. They walked in silence, having nothing to say after their relatively eventful afternoon. It was soon, then, that they reached Tsuna's house. Gokudera turned to Tsuna then, bowing to him and smiling.

"I'll definitely see you tomorrow, Tenth! If you need any help with the homework tonight, you just call me up alright? I'll be over in a flash to help you!" He turned his gaze to Yamamoto then, seeming to think if he should say anything or not before just nodding to him, as if that were good enough for _him_. Yamamoto simply grinned in response, nodding back.

"Alright, thank you Gokudera-kun. I'll see you tomorrow, then." Tsuna smiled, watching as Gokudera turned and walked off to wherever he lived. Tsuna then turned to Yamamoto, about to say his goodbyes to his friend when a sudden, familiar screech came from his house. Both boys turned to look just in time to see Lambo being chased by I-Pin, Reborn watching from the door with his permanent smirk. I-Pin was yelling something or another in the language neither boy could understand, trying to hit Lambo whenever she got into reach; the boy would speed up, yelling and crying as he tried to find a hiding place. He spotted Tsuna and Yamamoto then, lunging at them with surprising speed and clinging to Tsuna's head, sniffling as snot ran down his face.

"Lambo! Get off of me! Why is I-Pin chasing you this time?!" Tsuna tugged on the five-year-old, successfully pulling him off of his head and holding him at arm's length. Lambo continued to cry incessantly, waving his arms around in a flailing manner while Tsuna tried to calm him down. Yamamoto smiled empathetically then, leaning over Tsuna's shoulder to look at the infant.

"Hey little guy, what's up? You know, if you continue to cry like that Tsuna won't be able to help you."

Lambo paused, looking at Yamamoto with wide eyes and a running nose, before he nodded as if agreeing to what he said. Tsuna sighed thankfully, putting the afro-headed child onto the ground and kneeling down to his eye level. "Now. What happened?"

"She just started to chase me! She said some gobbledegook and started to try and kill me!!" Lambo pouted, sniffing again and Tsuna sighed, looking up just in time to see I-Pin come out of nowhere and kick Lambo in the back of the head. The child went flying, only being stopped by Yamamoto's physical barricade—AKA his legs. Before any of them could do anything, Lambo started to bawl again, pulling the Ten Year Bazooka out of his hair where he kept it hidden. Tsuna's eyes widened in a panic while Yamamoto looked at it in curiousity, wondering when children's toys had gotten to be so realistic?

What happened next could only be described as a blur. Tsuna lunged towards Lambo, trying to stop him from using the bazooka in front of Yamamoto. This caused Lambo's aim to be off, so instead of the missile that he fired hitting him, it aimed towards the curious Yamamoto. This caused Tsuna to scream at Yamamoto to move, though the teen was stuck, eyes transfixed on the projectile coming straight for his face. He then closed his eyes in preparation for the sudden pain that he was sure to feel when he got hit, the last thing heard being Tsuna yelling about 'how this could _not be happening!!_'

The missile touched his chin then, and suddenly, smoke surrounded him.

He coughed as he waved the smoke away from his face, grinning as he realized that the bazooka really _was_ just a toy and that when it hit someone, smoke was all that came out. It didn't even hurt at all. Just a harmless, realistic looking toy, as he had always thought.

Smiling he looked around as the smoke cleared, pausing as he realized something was off.

He was not in front of Tsuna's house, nor was Tsuna, Lambo, I-Pin or Reborn in front of him.

He was not even outside, for that matter.

He was in a room, sitting on the floor in front of a desk that had papers, a couple of old looking boxes and a calendar scattered across it. To his left and behind was a futon, folded up for the moment and not looking as if it had been used lately. A pressed suit hung on the closet door, and the radio was playing music in the background. There was a single window with the blinds shut. Yamamoto started to get up from the floor to look out the window and get his bearings when his hand touched something that felt like leather. He looked down then more curious about the thing he had touched than his location for the moment.

On the desk, slightly obscured by some papers with official looking business on it, was a leather diary or journal of sorts. Cocking his head to the side in growing curiousity, he picked up the journal, flipping to the first page where clean, sharp handwriting was found.

_Property of  
__Yamamoto Takeshi  
__Vongola Guardian of the Rain  
__19XX – 20XX_

He raised an eyebrow as he stared at the obscure dates, wondering why he hadn't written down his own birth year or the current year. And since when did he own a journal? Frowning in confusion, he flipped to the next page, blinking as more writing appeared.

_April 24  
__My birthday_

_So Tsuna gave me a journal for my birthday. He said that I kept too much away from everyone else, but he didn't want to force me to talk to the Family if I didn't want to. So he said that I should at least write down my thoughts, in case I ever needed some sort of way to clear my mind. Though a bit strange (and therefore definitely Tsuna) I thought the gesture to be thoughtful, so it's only fair that I actually use it right? Right. _

_So it's my 20__th__ birthday today. Man, does time surely fly. It feels only like a couple weeks ago we were at Namimori middle school, playing the 'mafia game' and having fun with friends. Sure, it was kind of dangerous and it wasn't really a _game_, but it was still a good time and I kind of miss it. Things were simpler back then. Not so much now. Now I know that the Vongola Family really is a _mafiaso_ and that the situations that we get into seemingly every day are not just fun and games but actual life-or-death situations. It was quite a shock to learn the truth like that, so suddenly too. I think I finally realized it when I saw true death for the first time. Or maybe it was the first time I had ever taken a life…either way, when I learned it wasn't a game, I _learned_. And life hasn't been the same for anyone since. _

Yamamoto stared at the page for a moment, looking at the odd Italian word before looking back at the age that was written down. 20. Twenty. Twenty years old. He flipped past the entry, looking at ones farther in, seeing a few more birthdays celebrating his 21st, 22nd, 23rd…

He stopped on the last birthday, his 24th. How was this even possible? Him? Twenty-four years old? _How?_

He frowned, skipping to the last entry, frowning as he noticed that the clear hand writing wasn't the same.

_August 30  
__After the funeral _

_I can't believe we had to put his coffin in the middle of some forest, not even properly buried or marked. We've been told that the area was protected and that no one but those who knew its location could get anywhere near it, but it still _hurts_. This was the man that had changed our lives—that had changed _my_ life. He was my first real friend…he gave me purpose outside of just some stupid sport. He gave me…he gave me _life_. _

_And we couldn't even give him a proper funeral. _

_I think the only other person as upset by this as I was is Gokudera, and he won't even talk to anyone. He's locked himself in his room, working on something or another trying to distract him from thinking too much. I don't blame him. I think I've spent more time in the training room and out in the field than I have in my actual room. I think the two of us are subconsciously trying to grieve in our own way, and we're going to wrong way about it. Well, at least I'm trying to fix that. I'm writing it down so that I can get it out. Just like he had asked me to when he gave me this journal. _

_It's…it's sad, but the only thing left of him that I have of my own, is this journal. This little, worn out journal that he had given to me in the hope that I could write down my thoughts when I couldn't tell them to anyone. This emotionless _book_ is the only thing I have left. We can't have pictures or anything, in case anyone infiltrates the house and learns who we are by that alone. His personal things were locked away in some safe house, since his mother doesn't know about his death, or Haru or Kyoko. Everything that could symbolise him—who he was, what he was like, how much he meant to everyone—has to be locked away. _

_But not this journal. This journal is mine, and I'm keeping it so that I have something of him. _

_. . ._

_It's funny. But once again, ever since that _day_ happened, I've been wishing the same thing over and over. It's like this regret that I'll never be able to get rid of; this one thing that I held back from everything, even this journal, that I'll never be able to release now. Not to him at least. Not to the one it mattered most to. _

_But I might as well say it here. After all, what can I do now? It's not like he's around to say it to. _

_I just wish…_

_This is harder to write than I thought. Okay. Let's try this at a different angle. _

_I regret having never told…having never told Tsuna that…that I…_

_. . ._

_That I loved him. _

_I loved him, and now…now he'll never know. Because he's in a coffin in the middle of a forest, not even properly buried. _

_Because he's dead. _

_I wish…that I had realized this before _

There was a bit of an ink splotch on the page then, as if the pen had been dropped in a hurry. And perhaps it had been. Yamamoto closed the book quietly, placing it on his lap as he stared at the desk with blank eyes. What was going on in this journal? Tsuna…Tsuna was dead?

He gripped his shirt above his heart then, gritting his teeth at the inexplicable pain from the mere thought of Tsuna not…being around anymore. He couldn't even imagine a world like that. He _wouldn't_ imagine a world like that.

Dropping his hand back to the journal, he stared at it, narrowing his eyes a little. Did that mean he loved him, then? Loved his best friend in a way that…wasn't really all that acceptable in normal, respectable society?

The more he thought about it, the more it actually made sense. He was always looking out for Tsuna, paying attention to his feelings and his nature in situations. He tried to make sure he was happy, generally. And if anyone threatened him he was one of the first ones to put himself on the line (as he now realized that the game he thought they'd been playing wasn't really a game at all).

And how the hell had Tsuna died anyhow? Where had he been? Why hadn't he jumped in to save him? Had something been happening that distracted him or occupied him? That could be the only reason he would accept, because if it was anything like carelessness or wrong-place-at-wrong-time, then he'd hate himself. Forever.

He shook his head then, closing his eyes. This wasn't the main issue here. The main issue was that he was realizing feelings for his best friend that he had apparently held back for ten years until it had been too late and his best friend ended up in a coffin. He knew, just like his future self knew, that he was going to regret this for the rest of his life.

And Yamamoto Takeshi, whether in the future or in the past, did not allow himself to have regret.

Just as he thought this, he was surrounded in smoke.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Anyone else agree that the new sign for the site looks like some strange tribal design or something? Anyhow. Second installment of my first chapter KHR story ever! This story isn't going to be a, 'Oh, I love him! I should tell him! Right this minute!' kind of story, since that's a little bit unrealistic. If you were thrown into the future 10 years from now and read that you were in love with your best friend who had just died, would you immediately accept this as truth and then go off blindly to tell that best friend living in the past that you loved them? No. I don't think so, anyway. Personally, a person should think about everything and figure out their feelings for themselves, not depending on an outside source to tell them how they feel. This can take a while, too. And people can get distracted by things along the way. Just explaining a bit how I'll be writing this. Anyhow, there's probably spelling mistakes, OoCness and other little grammatical errors and such. I apologize. I hope you enjoy the chapter. And thank you for the reviews so far! It makes me very happy to see people enjoy this story and pairing!

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Characters and Places belong to Amano Akira.

* * *

"Yamamoto! Yamamoto are you all right?"

Yamamoto blinked as the smoke cleared around him, showing Tsuna kneeling on the ground in front of him—he was still seated as if he were in that room in the future. Looking at the brunet owlishly, the baseball player seemed to forget where he was or what he was doing five minutes ago. Hi hands tightened around something then, and he glanced down to see the old leather journal in his hand.

'_Huh. That might be a bit of a problem.'_

Without consciously thinking about it Yamamoto slipped the journal into his bag, catching the eye of Reborn. The infant was staring at him with a curious expression—an event in itself, as Reborn's expressions were about as different as eggshell white and off white. He grinned at Reborn then, holding a finger up to his lips in the universal sign of 'don't say anything', before turning to the flailing Tsuna.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Though that was exciting. What was that, anyway?"

"E-eh?! Uhm, well, you see…it was…"

"Tsuna, you useless idiot." Reborn suddenly jumped to the teens, kicking Tsuna in the back of the head and landing on his twitching body. "It's not rocket science or anything overly complex. What should I expect though, when you can't even understand simple middle school mathematics?" He then turned to Yamamoto, giving his usual baby benign smile. "It's a Ten Year Bazooka. It warps you ten years in the future. A weird, but very rare, weapon made by the Bovina family; I don't know why someone as useless as Lambo has it."

Yamamoto nodded slowly to show he understood, looking around to see Lambo unconscious and I-Pin sitting on him. He grinned at the image, not even wondering how the two had gotten into that state, before turning back to Reborn. "What's up little guy? You look like you're itching to ask me something."

"Did something important happen in the future? Since the adult you acted very strange. He wouldn't say anything, though." Reborn tilted his head mock sweetly to the side, Leon adjusted himself on the baby's fedora. Yamamoto pursed his lips in thought, staring at the Arcobaleno's unblinking eyes for a moment before smiling a little.

'_So I wouldn't tell them about what's in this journal, hm? Guess that means I shouldn't spill. I have too much to think about on this anyway.'_ Yamamoto thought, scratching the back of his head as he smiled apologetically to Reborn. "Sorry Reborn, but if future me didn't think you should know then anything I learned can't be shared." He smiled, shrugging as he stood up and stretched his arms above his head, getting the kinks out of his back. His spine popped with a few satisfying cracks causing him to groan in a relaxed manner. He glanced down as he heard a familiar dark mumbling to see Tsuna sitting up rubbing his head, causing him to inwardly laugh. "Well, I guess I'll see you in school, okay Tsuna? Don't forget the homework tonight! I doubt any dynamite will blow up tomorrow to save you like today." He grinned as Tsuna laughed nervously, before offering a hand to the brunet. The Tenth boss accepted his hand then, and the Rain Guardian pulled him up, bringing him unnecessarily close.

A moment of silence seemed to take over them as Yamamoto took in a breath, inhaling the upcoming rain, fresh air and something so unmistakably Tsuna he couldn't rightfully describe it. It was like heat and regret and sacrifice; love, pain and secrets. It smelt like geraniums, old blood and burning wood.

The silence was broken when Tsuna pulled his hand away from Yamamoto's grasp, grinning in thanks. Yamamoto smiled lightly back, wishing his friend and companions a good night before he turned, leaving the Sawada residence with a slightly bewildered Tsuna and a suspicious Reborn.

* * *

Yamamoto slid the door to his room closed quietly, determined not to alert his father that he was home just yet. He didn't want to be disturbed at that moment and he knew that if his father was aware of his presence at home, he'd never get a moment to himself. Sighing a little to himself, he put down his bag by his desk and sat down on his bed, unbuttoning the uniform shirt as he stared off into space. His day had definitely been an interesting one, even if it had started off as ordinary. There was so much to take in after those five minutes he had spent in the future—and even more to take in once he dared to open that journal again.

As his thoughts drifted to the journal, his light eyes slide over to his bag where it was hidden from sight. He frowned slightly, his hands stilling at a button and his eyes narrowing marginally. "I can't believe I took that thing with me," he murmured softly, sighing and finishing off unbutton his shirt, slipping out of it and tossing it to his laundry basket. He stood up then and walked to his bag, rifling through it until his hands touched the worn leather showing age and use. He lifted the journal carefully, carrying it over to his bed where he sat down again and leaned against the headboard, staring at it with contemplating eyes.

"…This tells me what my future's gonna be like…" he murmured quietly, tracing the cracks in the leather. He pressed his palm against it then, memorizing the feel of the leather and the bends and cracks that showed how many times it had been opened and read over the years of its use. "It tells me what I'm like…but…" He closed his eyes, leaning his head back quietly. "Do I really want to know the future? What if I mess it up by reading this?"

"What if you fix it?"

Yamamoto jumped violently at the voice, leaping off of his bed and grabbing Shigure Kintoki, moving into a stance of the Shigure Souen Style, the bamboo sword transforming into the lethal blade he had inherited from his father. He narrowed his eyes and looked around the room before glancing at the window, seeing the tiny silhouette of Reborn sitting there, looking at him; dark, beady eyes gleaming at him and his smile permanently on his face. "Oh, hey little guy," the baseball player said with a sigh of relief, relaxing and leaning the reverted bamboo sword on the wall next to his bed. He then sat back down on his bed, a little wary but less on guard now that he knew who it was in his room. He didn't even bother asking how Reborn had gotten to his house, or to his room window. It _was_ Reborn. "What was that?"

"The future," Reborn repeated, kicking his legs out childishly and staring at Yamamoto with a quiet intensity that unnerved the teen. "I'm going to assume that the journal you have is the property of your future self, and has information on what happens ten years from now. What if, if you read it and things happen that shouldn't have happened you could fix the future so that whatever outcome made the future you look at Tsuna with an expression I didn't quite understand can disappear? I didn't like the look the future you was giving Tsuna, as it was almost as if he were seeing a ghost or something." Reborn frowned then, before shrugging. "But if you're afraid of changing the future and don't want to read it, that's fine. Just follow life as its going, if that's what you want. What'll come will come eventually."

"…The way you say that, it's almost as if you're challenging me."

"Oh?" Reborn tilted his head to the side, smiling again. "Why would you think that?"

"Well…you say that I have the possibility to fix the future. That definitely sounds better than messing it up. It's like you're saying, 'You have the power to change outcomes. It would be completely stupid of you to ignore this and just let undesirable things happen.' It's almost like you're saying that if I don't change the future or something, what'll come to pass if I leave everything alone will be my fault."

"Well, you seem to be reading into things too deeply," Reborn stated matter-of-factly, standing and fixing his hat on his head. Yamamoto could see the bottom part of his face, however, and saw that the infant was smirking. Oh, so he wasn't that far off the mark, then. He smiled at Reborn then, picking up the journal and holding it up. "What are you showing it to me for?"

"Did you want to see it? You seemed interested in knowing earlier."

"I have no need to read your future ramblings. They'll do me no good in the end. I'll let you deal with your own problems." The Rain guardian laughed at this, grinning at the Arcobaleno. Reborn then nodded to Yamamoto and stepped off of the window ledge. Yamamoto blinked stupidly at his sudden departure, before shrugging to himself and sitting back against the headboard, opening up to the first entry again.

"Where was I….Oh, yeah…_'And life hasn't been the same for anyone since…'_"

* * *

"Yamamoto? Yamamoto?? Are you awake?"

Yamamoto blinked rapidly as a hand waved in front of his face, looking up to see Tsuna looking at him with concerned honey eyes. He stared at the boy for a moment, imagining him as older, with a more matured look and a quiet smile, before he was knocked out of his imaginings as Tsuna started to talk again.

"You seem really tired today, Yamamoto. Did you not sleep well last night? Well, I guess you were probably bothered by what happened yesterday. I'm really sorry about that. I know you said you thought it was cool or whatever, but I wouldn't be able to go into the future and be comfortable afterwards. Knowing what's coming has got to put a lot of stress on you when you get back, since you don't know what happened to cause any of that." Tsuna pouted at the thought, sitting down on Yamamoto's desk. It was lunch break, and Tsuna had wanted to ask Yamamoto if he had brought any extra lunch since he had forgotten his at home and Reborn had apparently decided Tsuna needed to start remembering his own things instead of having them brought to him. So what if he starved? Tsuna's fault.

Yamamoto smiled a little apologetically, sitting up and rubbing the side of his head. "It wasn't the bazooka thing, don't worry. I was up reading a…book all night."

"Oh?" Tsuna looked at him curiously. "What was the book about?"

"…It was a future-like setting. It was lying around the house, and I thought I might as well read it to see what the author thought of the future." Yamamoto grinned nervously, hating that he was lying. He was only partially lying, but it was lying all the same. And it was lying to _Tsuna_; one of the most innocent, honest people Yamamoto had the pleasure of knowing. It was like telling a child that Santa Clause wasn't real or kicking a puppy. You just didn't do it.

'_But if I tell him what I was actually reading—my own journal ten years in the future—I don't think he'd be very happy. He'd probably freak out actually. Or he might want to know what'll happen in the future. I don't…really want him to know.'_

So far within the journal, Yamamoto had learned the basic structure of the Vongola Family—which Tsuna had created so that they operated differently than most mafia families did—as well as each of the guardians main jobs. It had been odd, reading about him going on dangerous, life-or-death situations and taking the lives of people if it was absolutely needed under _Tsuna's_ orders. It didn't seem like the kind of life that Tsuna would be happy living in, yet whenever future Yamamoto mentioned him, future Tsuna seemed content.

It certainly felt like he was reading a novel half the time, so really, it wasn't like he was actually lying to Tsuna…

He'd keep telling himself that, anyway.

"Oh." Yamamoto turned his attention back to Tsuna as the brunet spoke up. He was looking at him curiously, seeming to notice his sudden silence again. "Well, that sounds interesting. Maybe I can borrow it sometime."

"Yeah, maybe," Yamamoto said lightly, before grinning. "So where's your lunch, Tsuna?"

"Ah, right! Thanks for reminding me. I forgot my lunch at home and I was wondering…"

"No need to ask. Dad made me a ridiculously big lunch today; I'll split with you 50-50." Yamamoto grinned as he stood up from his desk, following Tsuna out of the classroom so that they could eat up on the roof. "Oh yeah, where's Gokudera?"

"He was called to the office just when lunch started. I guess you didn't hear it, though. He should be back soon." Yamamoto nodded, carrying his lunch in one hand while the other was shoved into his back pocket. "Yamamoto…is there anything else on your mind? You seem really spacey today. I know you're tired and everything, but…it just feels like you're not saying something…"

Yamamoto looked at Tsuna with a contemplating expression, impressed that the brunet seemed to be able to sense that he wasn't telling the full truth. Of course, though, Tsuna had always been good at reading people like that. It was one of his greatest qualities. For grinned to his friend, hoping that Tsuna would drop the topic.

As if he could read his feelings, Tsuna smiled a little hesitantly and nodded, opening the door to the stairs that led to the roof.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent much like the first half had been spent, with Yamamoto not really paying much attention to anything. This had eventually led to him getting a detention as he had not been able to answer the teacher's question and then he had had to admit he hadn't been paying the least bit of attention to the teacher. So as the last bell for school sounded, Yamamoto collected his things and sat at his desk, watching as his classmates and friends left. He waved to Tsuna and Gokudera as they trailed out of the classroom, Tsuna promising that he'd talk to him later and Gokudera muttering something about how the 'baseball-idiot was acting weirder than normal'.

Once the room was emptied, Yamamoto turned to look at the teacher who was straightening her desk of papers and turned in assignments. It was quiet for a few moments except for the _tick-tock_ of the clock on the wall. Finally, after what felt like an hour but was really only ten minutes, the teacher looked up.

"Yamamoto-kun," she spoke up then, sitting on the edge of her desk and looking at him worriedly. "I know you aren't one of my best students and that you don't always grasp the subject, but at least you're paying attention and trying! Now you're acting like Gokudera-kun. This isn't at all like you. Are you okay?"

"Eh?" Yamamoto stared at his teacher with raised eyebrows and wide eyes, his mouth dropping open a little. The reason he got a detention was because his teacher was worried about him, in some weird adult way? "Uhm…I'm fine, sensei," he said then, smiling a little uncertainly. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so I'm a bit out of it…"

"Well, that's unlike you, too. You're always so concerned about your health because you play baseball. Staying up at foolish hours would put a hard toll on your body." She frowned, crossing her arms across her chest and cocking her head to the side. "Really, you're acting so strangely."

"Well, some other things have come up kind of recently. I have a lot of stuff to think about right now. I'll try to pay more attention in class, though. Today was just my carelessness." Yamamoto paused for a moment, before scratching the back of his head. "Uhm…am I doing any real detention work or did you want to just talk to me after class?"

"Oh, you'll be doing real detention work. I want you to work on pages 54-58 in your text book for the next hour, then hand in the work that you've done. After that, if I'm satisfied, you can leave." The teacher paused, staring at the teen for a moment before standing up and collecting her suitcase, straightening her suit jacket. "I'll be in the teacher's lounge. Once you're done your work, hand it in to me there and I'll let you go home. I'll call your father to tell you that you have detention today for being an airhead."

"Right," Yamamoto nodded, pulling out the needed textbook and flipping to the assigned pages, taking out a notebook and pencil to write in. The teacher made sure he was settled to work before turning and leaving the classroom, leaving Yamamoto to his thoughts and his work.

* * *

"It's unlike you to not pay attention in class, Takeshi. Is this something Daddy should be worried about?"

Yamamoto sighed as he slipped off his shoes at the front door, walking across the wooden floor of the restaurant towards the stairs that led to the main house floor. He glanced at his father, smiling at him easily and shrugging. "Well, I guess all students have to slack off at least once. At least this is just the first time with me and not a regular occurrence, right?" He raised an eyebrow as he smiled slightly, watching his father's facial expressions. His dad seemed thoughtful for a moment, before he smiled just as easily as his son and nodded. It seemed he understood that something was once again going on in Yamamoto's life and it was best not to ask about it.

Yamamoto grinned at his dad one last time before walking up the stairs towards his room, sliding the door open and stepping in, closing it behind him. He dropped his bag by his desk, walked over to his bed and fell face-first into it, sighing tiredly. "I really did stay up late reading that thing…" he muttered to himself, turning his head to look at the journal in question. It rested on his bedside table with a little bookmark in it marking his place. He sighed, pushing himself up to properly sit on the bed, looking at the journal for a while.

So far, nothing had happened that he needed to try and change. Everyone seemed happy or content with their lives (from what he could tell). No one had died who didn't mean to die; no one in the family had been killed. It was so far alright within the world of the future. He scratching his chin, having just read the story in which someone had sliced him across the chin and given him a scar that he'd carry on within the rest of his days from what he could gather.

"…What am I even doing?" he questioned then, narrowing light eyes in thought. "All I want to do is make sure that somehow Tsuna doesn't die in the future. All I want to do is tell him the truth on how I feel. I hadn't even meant to read the journal. I know Reborn says that I should read it to see if I need to change anything, but doesn't that take the mystery of the future away? All I really care about is the safety of my friends." He buried his face in his hands, groaning in frustration. "I feel like I've totally lost the point of what I'm trying to do."

"You're trying to do something specific?"

"Reborn!" Yamamoto turned around quickly, looking at the infant in surprise. "My god, little guy, you have _got_ to stop randomly appearing in my room like this! Does Tsuna even know you're here?"

"He does not know, nor should he bother to even be informed. He's failing at doing his homework. I left him in Gokudera's charge so that I could check on how you were doing." Reborn sat on the window sill again, getting comfortable. Leon crawled down from his hat and transformed into a paddle with a ball attached with a string. He started to play with it, watching it as he spoke to the Rain guardian. "I didn't hear exactly what you were saying earlier though I thought I caught the words 'Tsuna' and 'die'. Now, unless you were talking about the Dying Will bullet, something bad happened in the future that now concerns me."

Silence followed that statement, the only sound the ball hitting the paddle as Yamamoto stared at Reborn and Reborn stared at the wall.

"Well?" Reborn piped up suddenly, caused Yamamoto to twitch in surprise. "What happened?"

"…" Yamamoto bit his lip, before shaking his head. "I really, really shouldn't tell you. You might tell Tsuna, and he'll freak out." Reborn looked at him, staring hard and Yamamoto got the feeling that the baby was using a scare tactic. It almost worked, but he had stared into the eyes of a human shark and was not all that threatened after a moment. The Arcobaleno then sighed, turning back to his paddle.

"Alright, so you won't tell me that. What about what you're trying to do now?"

"Oh, that." Yamamoto sighed, before falling onto his back on the bed, staring at the roof. "I'm trying to figure out some things about myself."

"Is the journal not helping?"

"No, it's just distracting me. I feel like I should be figuring myself out by myself, and not with the aid of the future. Besides, this is taking away the fun of living for each day towards the 'unknown'. If I know the future, what unknown am I heading towards?"

"Hm," Reborn agreed or disagreed—Yamamoto wasn't sure—before the sound of the ball and paddle suddenly disappeared. Yamamoto looked up to see Leon crawling back onto Reborn's hat. "Well, if you're just trying to figure yourself out, then you should get to work on that. And if you don't want the journal anymore, I could take the ten year bazooka, send you back to the future and you can return it."

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Yamamoto said, smiling. "This has all been way too troubling for my tastes. I just want things to be simpler."

"You're dealing with the future, Yamamoto," Reborn said, turning to step off the ledge again. "Things are never simple."

Yamamoto watched as the baby disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here's the third installment! I'm much happier with this one, as I really like how it flows personally. I know some people might think it's still going a little slow, but this chapter really shows that things are going to start now through symbolism! _(smile)_ Really, I think this story is going to be a bit of a 'progress' story, as it's going to help me with my writing style as well as slowly progress through it's plot. There is a plot in here somewhere. And it's not all going to be Yama thinking and thinking and thinking. Else I'd have him sitting down on a log and going, 'Think, think, think'. Which, admittedly, would be adorable...but not the point. So, I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Characters and Places belong to Akira Amano.

* * *

He coughed as the smoke thinned and cleared, leaving him standing in a clean, white bathroom with a weighted air and a puddle of water at his feet. Blinking slowly, he looked around the bathroom, wondering exactly where it was located and why his future self 10 years from his own time was in the bathroom at ten in the evening. Shrugging to himself, he placed the journal on the sink, sitting down on the toilet after closing the lid and lacing his fingers together, waiting for his five minutes to be up.

He took that moment to think.

'_What is it that makes me think that I'm in love with Tsuna? I mean, he's a guy first of all and one of my best friends. He's my first friend, actually…which, I guess would make me see him in a different way than I see my other friends…but he is still just a _friend_.' _Yamamoto frowned a little, narrowing his eyes as he tried to find some sort of rhyme or reason to his future self thinking himself in love with Tsuna. _'I guess there are qualities about him that anyone could admire. I mean, he's extremely nice and thoughtful…anti-violence…He'll protect those he cares about with his dying breath, even if he doesn't want to fight. I don't think you could find anyone like Tsuna without them being some sort of comic book or manga character.'_ Yamamoto smiled a little at that, rubbing his nose as an itch developed there.

Outside of those things, though…he couldn't see why he would have any reason to fall in love with Tsuna. Tsuna was the perfect friend for him. He was encouraging, always there to give a smile, he worried and he always put his friends first. He could protect himself, but he gave off the feeling that you had to watch out for him anyhow, because you didn't want to make him fight. He had his faults and his temper, of course, but didn't everyone?

He was overall average. Nothing extraordinary or anything about him.

…Yet Yamamoto felt as if there was something _else_.

"Maybe it's like when we tried to describe him to someone that one time…His overall normalness made him the amazing person he is…" he murmured, soft enough so that if there was someone outside of the bathroom, they wouldn't hear him younger than he should've been. "Maybe it's just something I can't overall _explain_, but something I just need to learn to accept…" He thought that over for a moment, rolling the idea in his mind before sighing and rubbing his hands down his face. "Does that even make sense? I can't just accept something like this so _easily_, I need to test it out, see if it's true." He intertwined his fingers, hands clasped tightly in front of his mouth as he stared at the porcelain tile. "…How am I supposed to test out something like this?"

He winced as smoke suddenly surrounded him, closing his eyes against it before he waved it away from his face, looking over to his bedroom window to see Reborn looking at him with a tilted head and a somewhat curious expression.

"I returned it," Yamamoto said with a grin, sitting up straight and relaxing. "Thanks again, little guy. I definitely owe you one."

"Hm. Yes you do," Reborn stated with a smirk, before he tucked the bazooka away in some hidden nook on his person, nodding to him. "I'll see you later then, Yamamoto. If you start slacking off and endanger Tsuna, I'll kill you."

"Got it," Yamamoto smiled, two-finger saluting the baby before he watched Reborn leave his room. He then dropped back onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling and throwing his arm over his eyes.

"…I have got to figure this out."

* * *

"You seem to be better rested today, Yamamoto!"

The Rain Guardian turned to look at Tsuna as he stood in front of him, smiling happily. He was dressed in the assigned gym uniform, his hands tucked behind his back and his legs shaky. They had just finished running five laps around the track, it being a nice day out and therefore a good day to run. Yamamoto had been one of the first to finish, as usual; Gokudera wasn't far behind him, not even breaking a sweat. Tsuna, however, had fallen into last place as was normal. The brunet might've been trying to hide it, but he was out of breath and probably ready to collapse.

Yamamoto grinned, indicating that the two of them should go over to the closet wall and sit down, as they were waiting for further instruction by their gym teacher. Once they sat down the dark haired boy could see the Sky Guardian visibly relax, leaning against the wall as if it were his personal saviour. "I made sure to go to bed early," he said after letting the brunet rest for a little bit, drawing one leg up to his chest, his arms wrapped around the knee loosely. He looked out at the gym as other students mingled, talking to each other or playing a light game of soccer in the corner. Yamamoto caught Gokudera playing in the soccer game, an angry look on his face as he chewed on a toothpick—something he had developed doing as of late so he wouldn't get in trouble for smoking on the school grounds. "Worried about me, Tsuna?"

"Well, yeah," Tsuna said with a shrug, looking at the kids in the gym class as well. "I'm going to be worried if one of my friends isn't feeling well, aren't I?" He smiled then, bringing both his knees up to his chest and loosely grasping his feet, shin resting on kneecaps. "I'm glad you're feeling better today, though. I'm guessing you're done the book?"

"Yeah, I decided that it was kind of boring," Yamamoto said easily, having practiced this lie a couple of times before he had come to school. "I don't think you would've liked it very much. It had too much plot and not enough action."

"Oh," Tsuna looked at Yamamoto curiously, eyes wide, before he turned back to see Gokudera jogging up to the two. "Hey Gokudera-kun,"

"Tenth," Gokudera panted, nodding to him respectively. He then turned to Yamamoto, a distasteful look immediately coming to his features. "Baseball-idiot, the gym teacher named you one of the team captains. We're playing volleyball."

"Ah, thanks Gokudera," Yamamoto stood up, stretching his back muscles and grinning as his spine popped in the appropriate places. He then offered a hand to Tsuna, who took it wordlessly and hoisted himself up.

What seemed to be an electric shock went through Yamamoto's arm as Tsuna's grip on his hand tightened. His eyes widened marginally, before he smiled uneasily at Tsuna once he let go, shoving his hand into his pocket. It felt almost numb, though he knew that that wasn't really the case. He then jogged over to the teacher looking over to see the other captain assigned in the class. He smiled at him amiably.

"Alright, class, time to pick your teams. Now, make sure you do not make anyone feel like an add-on you picked because you pity them." The teacher looked at both boys sternly, before nodding and stepping back, allowing the captains to choose their teams. Yamamoto indicated for the other boy to choose first, crossing his arms behind his head as he watched to see who would be chosen.

* * *

"I can't believe we lost!" A boy grumbled from behind Yamamoto as the baseball player's team cleaned up the gym. It was the duty of the loosing team to clean the gym as a sort of punishment. "We had Gokudera _and_ Yamamoto!"

"It's because we had No-Good Tsuna," Another boy commented lightly, sighing as he helped two other boys roll up the volley ball nets. "You know he can never do anything right."

"Man, why did Yamamoto have to pick him for our team?"

Yamamoto sighed tiredly as he stood up, stretching his back and glancing over his shoulder to the grumbling boys. "You know, loosing is a team effort, not a single player's fault," he said, smiling at him lightly. Something in his eye made them think he wasn't being too friendly, though. The boys fell silent. "So instead of pinning all the blame on one of your teammates, which makes for a bad team, how about we all share the fault of loosing, clean the gym without another complaint, and get on with the day? A volleyball game is not the be all and end all of the world." He grinned then, picking up a couple of net poles, hoisting them carefully. "Now, if this were _baseball_, then you could complain. But since it's not, who cares?"

"Geez, Yamamoto, you really like baseball don't you?" One of the boys asked, all of them staring at him incredulously. Yamamoto simply grinned a reply walking passed them to the storage locker. He paused as he saw Tsuna standing there with wide eyes, holding a couple of the volleyballs; Gokudera was running around the gym, gathering the rest of the balls that had been used during practice while muttering something along the lines of, 'How dare they talk about the Tenth that way? I'll show them…'

"What's up, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, indicating for the brunet to follow him to the storage. Tsuna nodded, walking beside him silently. "Tsuna…"

"Hm? Oh, it's just…I was surprised that you defended me just then. I mean, it _was_ my fault that we lost. I really am no good…"

"Aww, Tsuna, don't say that about you! It's not at all true. I mean, sure, you're not great at sports, but you don't have to be. You're good at other things."

"Like what?"

"Well, I have never seen anyone else survive as much Spartan training as you have," Yamamoto said with a wink, causing Tsuna to laugh. "You're also one of the best friends I've ever had." Yamamoto said seriously, smiling softly. "I've never met someone who cared about people so much. And you do; you care about all people, not just your friends."

"E-eh…" Tsuna scratched his cheek as a flush crawled up his neck, a shy smile forming on his lips. "…Thanks, Yamamoto."

Yamamoto just smiled, putting the poles in their proper place in the locker. He then turned to see Gokudera come into the storage locker with a precarious pile of volleyballs. The baseball player whistled, impressed. "That is quite the collection of volley balls. Did we even use that many?"

"A few were stuck in corners and one or two were in roof beams, but I got 'em all. Tenth was assigned the balls, so I thought it only right that I made sure all of them were brought. I gotta look out for my boss, ya know."

"I can tell," Yamamoto said, grinning. "The teacher will be pleased to see the balls all back and not scattered around the gym like usual."

"Che, like I care what the teacher thinks. I was just doing it for the Tenth."

"Uhm….Thanks, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said, scratching the back of his head as he stared at the pile in the light haired teen's eyes. "That's…wow."

"No problem, Tenth! Anything for you!" Gokudera dropped the balls haphazardly in the corner of the storage room, grinning cheerfully.

"Eheheh…."

* * *

Yamamoto stretched his arms above his head as he walked towards his home alone after school, whistling to himself. Tsuna had had to stay after school for detention because of his failing math mark, and Gokudera had needed to go home so that he could do something or another; what it was that Gokudera did while he was at home, Yamamoto was not sure, but it was probably important either way. He swung his arms back and forth as he inhaled deeply, tasting the upcoming scent of rain in the air again. It had been threatening rain for the last couple of days, though it had yet to actually do so. Yamamoto was wondering when it would finally decide it was ready the pour down onto the earth and soak everything.

He looked up at the sky as he walked, watching as the dark, grey clouds started to roll over the fading blue sky. It was almost as if the rain clouds were covering the sky, keeping it out of sight of anyone who wanted to hurt it. He smiled a little at the thought; it was sort of like him and Tsuna. Yamamoto knew that he would most likely sacrifice himself for Tsuna's safety, putting himself in front of his friend when danger was coming their way. He knew Gokudera was the same, yet Gokudera would be more destructive about it. Gokudera would try to drown out the attacker, just like a storm. Yamamoto would rather hide Tsuna so that no one ended up being hurt too badly, as the thought of hurting someone didn't sit well in Yamamoto's stomach.

The Rain Guardian frowned a little at that, biting the inside of his cheek. He didn't _like_ hurting people, but he knew that in the future…

"I am not going to be thinking about that again. It's going to distract me," Yamamoto muttered, sighing and shaking his head. He blinked as a drop of rain hit his forehead then, glancing up at the sky to see that the rain was finally starting to fall. He grinned, flipping the collar of his uniform shirt to try and keep some kind of warmth for the upcoming downpour. "Heh. The rain's finally started. I guess I should probably take that as some sort of signal or something."

He grinned, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to allow the rain to soak him through, his eyes closed.

It was about time he really started to figure things out, instead of just thinking about it.

* * *

"Oh, hey Yamamoto, I wasn't expecting you to come over."

Yamamoto grinned, scratching the back of his head. He stood in front of Tsuna's home on the porch, soaked to the bone even after having changed into dry clothes and taking an umbrella with him. The winds were becoming stronger and the rain was falling harder as time went by. "I thought it would be a good idea if we did homework together. That way we're bound to get some answers right, right?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea!" Tsuna smiled, letting the taller teen inside. "Though I think you should probably change out of those wet clothes. Hmm…I don't think any of my stuff will fit you…"

"Don't worry about it," Yamamoto waved his hand nonchalantly, smiling lightly. "I'll be fine."

"I don't want you to get sick, too," Tsuna mumbled, frowning. "Hey, maybe my mom has some of my dad's clothes from when he was a teenager. They did get married young, so it's possible."

"That sounds all right by me." Tsuna nodded and jogged off to find his mother, leaving Yamamoto dripping in the front foyer. He shifted in one spot, not wanting to drip all over the floor and cause Tsuna or his mother to have to clean up after him. Once he was changed, he'd clean up after himself. He glanced up then, looking around when he felt a dangerous presence around him.

He looked around for a moment before spotting the source of the presence, smiling when he saw Bianchi and Reborn, the baby in the woman's arms reservedly. "Hey little guy, Bianchi," he greeted lightly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Hello," Bianchi greeted, nodding lightly to him. Yamamoto and Bianchi had never really spoken much, so the teen wasn't surprised that she didn't have much to say to him. He then turned to look at Reborn, who was staring at him with what he guessed to be a questioning gaze.

"I thought I'd study with Tsuna," he said to the Arcobaleno's unasked question, shrugging a bit. "I figured this way we might be able to figure something out."

"…Hm," Reborn nodded, smiling benignly as usual. "Are you figuring anything out, by the way?"

"Ah, I'm beginning to," Yamamoto said with a bit of a laugh, bringing a hand to scratch his nose. "Hopefully this all won't take me too long. I really hate being confused by stuff like this."

"Of course," Reborn said, nodding a little. "Things like this are supposed to be simple after all, right?"

"Yeah," Yamamoto shrugged, eyeing the infant for a moment. "…Do you know what I'm trying to figure out?"

"No, but knowing you, it's probably not something overly complex." Yamamoto laughed then, before glancing over to see Tsuna walking over with his arms filled with a change of clothes. "Hey, you got some. That's great. I'll have to thank your mom."

"She said you can thank her by taking a warm bath, drying off properly, and changing into these," Tsuna said, dumping the clothes into Yamamoto's waiting arms. He smiled then. "I'll go run the bath for you."

"Thanks, Tsuna," Yamamoto said, feeling heat crawling up the back of his neck. "I owe you a bunch."

"Nah," Tsuna shrugged with a smile. "You're my friend. I'm making sure you don't get sick." He then turned again and walked up the stairs to run the bath, leaving Yamamoto alone with the infant and the poison cooking chef.

"…Tsuna's really caring, isn't he?" Yamamoto said then to no one in particular, a thoughtful look on his face. "He's always watching over his friends."

"Of course," Reborn started, as if this statement were a well known fact. "A boss must take care of their Family." He paused then, glancing at Yamamoto as the boy slipped out of his wet sneakers. "Though maybe he's paying a bit of special attention."

"Nah," Yamamoto said with a smile. "I don't think Tsuna plays favourites." He then nodded to Bianchi and Reborn, walking towards the stairs. "Nice seeing you guys!"

Reborn watched from Bianchi's arms as Yamamoto walked up the stairs, Leon shifting on his hat as he contemplated the boy. "…All bosses play favourites."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Alright, here's the next installment! It's short, it seems random, and it almost looks like a filler; it is one out of these three things. =P You have three guesses as to which one it is, and the first two don't count. Anyhow, there's a greater plot to this. I hope you enjoy this! I'm sorry if you don't, and I hope you enjoy any chapters in the future. Sometimes I'll write great chapters, sometimes I won't. Yet usually they are all important, which is why I write them the way I do.

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Characters and Places belong to Akira Amino.

* * *

"Wow, it's really pouring outside, isn't it?"

Yamamoto looked up from the homework sheet in front of him, looking at the window to see Tsuna standing there, a hand pressed against the glass. He glanced down at the math assignment, called it a lost cause, and stood up to join the shorter brunet at the window. Standing behind him, he leaned forward to look through the darkness outside to see the rain coming down in droves. Grinning, he rested his arm on top of Tsuna's head, watching the rain with contemplation. "Raining cats and dogs, you could almost say."

"Mm," Tsuna hummed, frowning a little bit. "I don't know if I like this rain."

"Why's that?" Yamamoto asked, looking down at his friend with confusion. "It's just a storm, you know."

"It seems out of season," Tsuna said, shrugging before he turned away from the window. Yamamoto removed his arm, watching his friend walk back to the table where they had been working. Tsuna sat back down in his spot, but Yamamoto could tell the shorter boy wasn't working on his work.

"What do you mean 'out of season'?" Yamamoto asked then, following the Vongola 10th boss to the table, sitting back down in front of his homework. He looked down at the math equations in front of him, feeling his mind screech to a halt and hum dumbly in his mind. He looked back up at Tsuna, not feeling ready to continue with his homework. The brunet seemed to be trying to find a way to voice his thoughts, as his eyes were narrowed, forehead scrunched and nose wrinkled in a way that reminded Yamamoto of some small, cute animal he wanted to keep forever.

"…It sort of gives me a funny feeling," he said finally, looking at Yamamoto with a shrug. "I feel like…something bad might be coming."

"Something…bad?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just overreacting." Tsuna shrugged, smiling weakly before he picked up his pencil, looking at the questions in front of him. "Uhmm….Should we try question four?"

Yamamoto watched his friend with worry, a frown on his features. Whenever Tsuna felt like something 'bad' was going to come or happen, he was usually right. After all, Tsuna had hyperactive intuition. If Yamamoto had to bet his life on anyone's 'gut feeling', it was going to be Tsuna's. He wanted to ask Tsuna what he meant by 'something bad' coming from the rain, yet he also felt that if he pushed the issue Tsuna would get upset and stop talking about it around Yamamoto. With a resigned smile, he picked up his own pencil, looking down at question four and wincing at how Tsuna seemed to manage to pick the one with the most numbers.

"Okay, let's try this…"

* * *

"Yamamoto, my mom thinks you should spend the night over. It's still raining really hard outside, and she says that if you spend the night, she can drive you to your house in the morning so you can get ready for school."

Yamamoto looked up from tying his shoes, staring at Tsuna with wide eyes. He had been preparing to go home in the pouring rain, having put on his own clothes after they had been dried in the drying machine. He stood up then, grinning but shaking his head. "Thanks anyway, Tsuna, but I should really just head home. I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind me staying the night, but since it _is_ a school night, he might be a little iffy. I'll make sure to call here to tell you guys I got home safely though, if that makes you feel any better?"

Tsuna frowned, hands fisting on his shirt before he nodded and looked up at Yamamoto with worried honey-coloured eyes. "You better make it home safely, Yamamoto! Or else I'll be really upset!"

"Aww, I wouldn't want to make you upset, Tsuna." Yamamoto grinned, reaching out and wrapping his arm around Tsuna's head to drag him into a half hug. Tsuna flailed in surprise, almost tripping over himself before he placed his hands on Yamamoto's chest to steady himself. Yamamoto could suddenly feel heat spreading from the points where his friend was touching him to cover his entire body; he could feel his heart beating in his throat and was pretty sure if he opened his mouth, all you'd hear was his heartbeat. His eyes widened when he thought he felt Tsuna's hands grip his shirt, before he let go of the brunet, smiling and stepping back to return their personal bubbles. "I'll remember to call."

"Alright," Tsuna agreed, scratching his cheek as a flush crawled up his neck. He smiled at him weakly then, looking at him. "Be really careful, okay? I still feel funny about that rain."

"I'll keep an eye out," Yamamoto promised, ruffling up the boy's hair this time before picking up his bag. He waved to Tsuna's mother when she appeared behind her son, giving her a reassuring smile as she looked at him with concern. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tsuna!"

"Kay! See you at school!"

With one last wave, Yamamoto left the Sawada residence, walking straight into the downpour. Sighing, he looked up at the dark, cloudy sky, feeling as if the rain was cooling down his skin.

"…Something's definitely there," he muttered then, narrowing his eyes as he started his trek home. "And I'm not the only one who noticed it. I'm pretty sure Tsuna knows…and his mother seemed to see something when she had given me my clothes…" He sighed softly then, seeing his breath come out as a puff of smoke due to the chill in the air that came with the rain. He smiled in mild amusement, swinging his umbrella in his hand. He hadn't bothered with opening it, since he knew that he would be fine even if he was soaked to the bone. After all, Yamamoto hadn't gotten sick because of the rain in all of his life. He rarely got sick, in fact, which he found to be a blessing. He did enjoy being healthy all the time. It gave him more time to practice his form.

"And to spend time with my friends," he added softly. "I shouldn't forget that."

He smiled then, walking at a leisurely pace as he always did. It might've been raining and there might have been no one on the street, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy his was, did it?

Just then, he felt something dangerous at his back. It wasn't dangerous like Reborn, though, so he felt that he could probably take it on if he needed to. Slowing his walk, his eyes started to dart around him, trying to spot a shadow in the dark. His right hand twitched reflexively, wanting to reach to his sling-on that he always carried now, which held Shigure Kintoki; he carried it just in case he ever needed it on the fly, like he probably did now. He stopped walking then, feeling the dangerous presence somewhere on his left. Smiling a little to himself, he took hold of Shigure Kintoki's handle, pulling it out slowly. "You know, I never did like the game hide-and-seek," he called out then.

He heard a chuckle then, and turned to see a tall figure step out, wearing dark, androgynous clothing. The 14-year-old stared at the other person quietly, before he smiled amiably as he had with the other team captain in gym. "And who do I have the pleasure of meeting this lovely night?"

"Oh, just your killer, Rain Guardian," the person said, a soft, sexless voice speaking. Yamamoto hated not knowing what gender his opponent was, yet he didn't bother to take it into account. Male or female, this person was going to try and kill him. Smiling, Yamamoto shifted into one of the Shigure Souen Style's stances, feeling Shigure Kintoki transformed from a practice wooden sword to a sharp, deadly blade. His opponent made an impressed noise in the back of their throat, before pulling out a gun. "A very impressive stance and weapon, though no chance against a bullet," the person said then, a smile in their voice. "Goodbye, Yamamoto Takeshi."

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, grinning just as the person pulled the trigger.

* * *

"This is quite the mess you've made."

The person looked up from their place at the wall, leaning against it and panting. The dropped the weapon they had been holding, the blade clattering to the ground and turning back into a regular wooden sword; Yamamoto followed it to drop to his knees. "Are…they dead?" he asked then, closing his eyes.

Reborn made an impatient noise, as if reprimanding Yamamoto for caring if his opponent was dead or not. Yamamoto just shook his head, leaning his forehead against the cool brick of the building he leaned against. He heard the body being turned, closing his eyes tightly as Reborn seemed to mutter to himself before he felt a tap to his knee. Glancing down at the baby, he saw him nod and shuddered a breath. "…I didn't want to kill them…"

"They were going to kill you, and then they were going to go after Tsuna, no doubt." Reborn said, sitting on the ground. Leon turned into an umbrella to protect the baby from the pouring rain as he watched Yamamoto with unblinking eyes. "You did the right thing."

"It doesn't feel like it," Yamamoto muttered, turning and leaning heavily against the wall. He looked at his hands to see them perfectly clean, yet they might as well have been covered in blood. "I can't believe I just killed someone. I'm only 14…"

"You're also a member of the mafia," Reborn reminded him in a gentle voice. Yamamoto covered his face and the Arcobaleno sighed tiredly. "You did what you could for the one you love. If you hadn't killed that assassin, you would've been dead. Then who would look after Tsuna? You're the only one close enough to prevent that assassin from succeeding. You did right, Yamamoto."

"…How do you know I love Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, looking at the sky. Reborn smiled benignly then, telling Yamamoto that the baby wasn't going to be revealing his sources just yet. "…All right."

"Are you going to be able to head home?"

"I don't think my legs could carry me," Yamamoto said truthfully, grinning ruefully. He then looked at Reborn, staring at him in contemplation. "…Are there going to be a lot of assassins after Tsuna's life?"

"Hundreds," Reborn said, looking up at Yamamoto with a straight face. "Will you do what a proper lover does for their loved one and watch out for them?"

"…" Yamamoto looked at him, before staring up at the sky. "…I'd die for Tsuna, I think."

"Good answer," Reborn said, before standing up. Leon turned into a walkie-talkie then, which Reborn started to speak into. "Bianchi, could you come up the street about three blocks from Tsuna's house? Yamamoto will be spending the night. See you soon." He placed the walkie-talkie Leon on his hat just as the chameleon turned back into his regular shape, settling on the brim of Reborn's fedora. "Bianchi will be here in a moment. Just wait here for her. I'm going to take care of the body."

"Right," Yamamoto muttered, staring at the sky. He felt a hand on his knee again and looked down to see Reborn staring at him.

"Never regret protecting Tsuna," he said then, looking at him seriously. "He means more than your own life to you, doesn't he?"

Yamamoto simply smiled, making Reborn nod and walk back to take care of the body, leaving Yamamoto alone. The teen then looked up at the sky again, biting his lip.

"…I never thought I'd feel this natural about something like this. But…if it's protecting Tsuna…" Yamamoto muttered, frowning. "…I don't think I'd hesitate to do it one hundred times over. That _has_ to mean something…It just has to."

He looked over down the street then to see Bianchi walking towards the scene, smiling a little. "I know it has to."

* * *

"I'm glad you decided to spend the night after all, Yamamoto," Tsuna said, smiling as he led the soaked boy to the guest room. "Mom's just getting some clothes for you to borrow and she'll call your dad to explain that the rain was too dangerous to walk through." He then glanced back to see Yamamoto staring at him, looking at him worriedly. "…Are you all right? You've been really quiet since you got here."

"Hm? Oh, just thinking about stuff," Yamamoto said with a grin. Tsuna looked at him a moment later before he nodded, opening a door and stepping inside, grinning back at Yamamoto shyly. "I know it's not much, but here it is!"

Yamamoto looked around, seeing a simple bed, dresser and set of drawers. He grinned then, ruffling Tsuna's hair affectionately. "It's perfect," he muttered, threading his fingers through Tsuna's wild brown hair for a moment before pulling his hand away. "Thanks again for letting me stay."

"Of course!" Tsuna said with a smile. He looked behind them to see his mother standing there with a set of pyjamas for Yamamoto to change into. "Ah, thanks Mom!"

"No problem sweetheart," Nana said, handing the clothes to Yamamoto. She felt his forehead for a moment, checking to make sure he wasn't getting sick, before smiling. "Have a good night, dear," she told Yamamoto kindly before she waved to them with a smile, leaving them again. Yamamoto set the clothes on the bed, dropping his bag and the sling-on for Shigure Kintoki onto the floor. He glanced back to see Tsuna still standing there.

"Something up?" Yamamoto asked with a confused smile. Tsuna stared at him for a moment, before smiling, shaking his head.

"No…it's just, the rain suddenly doesn't seem so bad," he said, looking out the window. "I guess I was overreacting, huh?"

"Who knows?" Yamamoto said softly, looking at Tsuna as he stared out the window. He then grinned. "Well, I think I'm going to change. I'll see you in the morning, alright?"

"R-right!" Tsuna said, smiling. He then left the room, closing the door behind him quietly, leaving Yamamoto alone.

After a moment, he turned away from the door to get ready.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So, it's been a while eh? Don't worry people, this hasn't been cancelled or anything like that! I'm just having some problems writing up chapters and figuring out what's going to happen. I think I generally know what's going to happen now, though. : ) I hope I do, anyhow. Ahahaha. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this! If it seems odd, or off, it is but it isn't. Again, I'm experimenting as I write this. I'm trying to figure out different ways to tell stories.

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! belongs to Amano Akira.

* * *

He looked around for a moment, trying to gather his bearings.

He was in the park near the school, yet it was completely empty. There were no kids running around or playing on the equipment. There were no young couples running along the pathways, talking to each other or listening to their headphones. There were no elderly couples sitting on the benches. There were no people walking their dogs. Glancing at the street, Yamamoto noticed that there weren't even any cars.

It was completely deserted. And this made him instantly on edge.

Cautiously, he walked towards the park swings, thinking that if he climbed on top of the support he'd be able to see some form of life in the distance. Yet before he even got close to the rock-and-woodchip based park grounds, he heard the distant sound of crying.

Turning towards the woods he headed quickly towards the sound, intent on investigating. He entered the tree line without a second thought, walking along the well-worn bike path that would usually have people on it during this time of day. He kept his ears locked on the crying, his eyes sweeping the forest scenery for anything out of place, his senses reaching out to try and find something dangerous. He noted that there were no animals or bugs or birds, which immediately made him wary. He also noticed that the forest didn't smell like a forest. Instead, it smelt of blood, burning wood and geraniums.

Confused by this, he turned to spot someone curled up at the base of a tree, head buried in their knees, arms wrapped tightly around their shins. He stared at them for a moment, before he realized that shock of brown hair, those slim shoulders, and that tiny voice muffled by his arms.

"Tsuna!"

Yamamoto rushed over to his best friend and boss, kneeling beside him and touching his shoulder to shake him. The smell of blood intensified, drowning out the other smells that made up Tsuna. The forest seemed to darken quickly, the grass around them wilting pathetically, the wind stopping.

Yamamoto sucked in a breath as Tsuna looked up, tasting stale air on his tongue.

Instead of the warm honey that he expected to see from Tsuna, he instead saw bloody, gouged in sockets. The tears he wept were blood, darker and thicker than Yamamoto had ever seen in his entire life. Tsuna's face was cracked along the sides as if he wore a mask. The light eyed swordsman threw himself backwards away from Tsuna as he lifted a hand to him, the hand itself wrinkled and twisted like a gnarled old tree branch.

He watched with fascination as Tsuna opened his mouth, a slash across the broken face, full of sharp teeth and more blood. He listened as the soft whimper of his best friend filled the clearing.

"_You didn't protect me."__

* * *

_"Ah!"

Yamamoto threw himself up into a sitting position, staring at the wall in front of him and immediately not recognizing it. It took him a few moments to remember why he was in a strange place, images of the heavy rain, the assassin, and Tsuna's worried face filling his mind's eye.

Sighing, he threw his legs over the side of the bed and glanced at the alarm clock that the guest room had. He laughed dryly when he noticed that it was just after five o'clock, meaning the sun had just started to rise outside. Glancing out the window, he could see the soft shades of yellow, orange and pink that filled the sky, dark grey rainclouds drifting by listlessly, having already relieved themselves of their heavy load.

With a smile, Yamamoto opened the window soundlessly, looking around outside briefly before pulling himself out onto the roof, walking carefully towards the top where it peaked. Sitting down lightly, he turned to watch the sunrise, his eyes falling to half mast, his thoughts drifting to his dream.

"_What was that all about, anyway?" _he thought to himself, chin moving to rest on his raised knees, arms loosely wrapping around his ankles. _"I wonder if it means anything, or if I'm just shaken from last night's events."_ He sighed heavily, closing his eyes and trying to clear his thoughts. He didn't want to think too much on the dream, since he had never been one to believe that dreams could possibly mean something. But for some reason, he couldn't shake that it had some sort of important significance.

"_Well, until I learn what that significance is, I'm not going to bother with it," _he thought decisively, opening his eyes and staring at the sunrise again. He smiled as a sense of peace fell over him like a soft cotton blanket, perfect for spring, setting his mind at ease. Relaxing fully, he decided not to think of anything as he watched the sky change colours, the rain clouds moving farther and farther away.

* * *

"Yamamoto! You're already up?"

The baseball player looked over to his friend, grinning as Tsuna stared at him with wide eyes. He stood there in his pyjama pants and an oversized T-shirt, his hair messier than usual and his eyes wide and slightly dazed from having just woken up. Yamamoto, meanwhile, was wearing a shirt and a pair of jeans that Nana had lent him, sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. Reborn, I-Pin, and Lambo all sat around as well, eating pancakes and eggs, Lambo throwing his eggs at I-Pin and I-Pin using a pancake as a shield against the onslaught. Nana herself was at the oven, cooking up some more pancakes and eggs for Tsuna and herself (and any other unknown guests that could appear within the hour).

"Yeah. I got up earlier and thought that I should come down. Your mom was already up with the three kids, cooking breakfast."

"Yes! However, we seem to have run out of eggs, so we didn't have enough for Yamamoto-kun. Bianchi-san kindly offered to go buy some more for us, so that's why she isn't here if you were wondering, dear," Nana piped up, turning and smiling at her son. She looked at him then for a moment, giggling slightly at her son's attire. "Sweetheart, didn't you think to get dressed before you came down? After breakfast, you're going to have to go to Yamamoto-kun's house and then head to school!"

"Oh, Tsuna doesn't have to come with me home," Yamamoto said, looking at Nana with a slight smile to his lips. Nana pursed her lips, cocking her head to the side, yet before she could speak up Tsuna did for her.

"I'm still going to walk with you! After all, I wouldn't want you to walk home all alone and then walk all the way to school! I'll go get dressed now and then as soon as we're ready we'll leave." Tsuna took off after this statement, not giving Yamamoto enough time to counter with anything. Sighing, the dark haired boy simply smiled and shook his head, turning back to finish his cereal.

As he reached to grab his glass, he noticed that Reborn was staring at him intently. He tilted his head to the side curiously, blinking owlishly at the small mobster, but Reborn turned away when Tsuna came sliding back into the kitchen, accepting a plate of pancakes and eggs from his mother. He settled down beside Yamamoto to eat then, stuffing the food quickly into his mouth. Yamamoto watched with raised eyebrows as the brown haired mob boss-in-training practically inhaled his food, briefly laughing when he started to choke. He then hit his back gently but firmly, watching as Tsuna placed a hand on his chest and breathed deeply, face turning from red to peach.

"That wouldn't happen if you'd slow down, you know." Yamamoto said, smiling as he finished his cereal and stood up to take his plate to the sink.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Yamamoto," Tsuna replied, turning to smile at him thankfully for (probably) saving his life. Yamamoto stared at him for a moment, taking in his normal face with his wide honey eyes, gentle mouth and healthy complexion. Banishing the image from his nightmare, Yamamoto smiled back at him, rubbing the back of his head.

"No problem, Tsuna."

* * *

"Oh man, I can't believe we're late!"

Tsuna and Yamamoto ran through the halls of Namimori middle school, having been delayed when Yamamoto's father checked on his son's physical health, packed him a lunch, gave Tsuna something to eat from the restaurant, and asked Yamamoto to take out the garbage from all the rooms in the house. They had arrived on school grounds just as the late bell had rung, and so in a panic Tsuna had darted off towards class, Yamamoto jogging along with him because he didn't want the teacher to have to yell at them separately as that would disrupt class time more than was needed.

However, thoughts of being reprimanded nicely by a teacher were wiped away when the two boys stopped, staring at the figure that stood before him in a dark jacket, tonfas held tensely at his sides.

Hibari Kyouya stared at the two teens with cold, narrowed eyes before he smirked slightly, lifting a tonfa in front of him, feet shifting into a fighting position.

"Herbivores. You are running down my hallways. This is a horrible offence against this school. So I'm going to bite you to death."

Instinctively, Yamamoto moved to stand in front of Tsuna, covering the smaller boy with his larger body mass. "Hibari-san, can we do this after school? We're going to be late for class, and not using the school's purpose as it is meant to be used would be a bigger offence, right?" He stared at the Cloud Guardian with steady eyes, an easy-going smile on his lips, his hands tensed and ready to battle if he absolutely had to.

Hibari stared at them for a moment, his eyes narrowing until they were mere slits, before he slowly let the tonfa down back to his side, stance shifting back to that of relaxed. "I will find you herbivores after school, then. Get going before I change my mind."

Grinning and nodding a quick thanks to the school disciplinary captain, Yamamoto grabbed Tsuna's wrist and ran full speed the rest of the way to class, skidding to a stop in front of it. He reached out to grab the door, pausing when Tsuna made a noise to grab his attention.

"That's the second time today you've gotten me out of a dangerous mess, Yamamoto. Thanks."

Shrugging, Yamamoto simply smiled and slid the door opened, walking into the class and smiling sheepishly as the teacher walked over to sternly talk to the two boys.

They went back to their seats after apologizing to the teacher, sitting in their respective desks and listening to the rest of the lesson until the class ended and the teacher left. Between the short break between classes, Yamamoto looked over to see Tsuna standing next to Kyoko's desk, seeing that she had returned to school that day. He smiled happily, glad to see that the girl was well, but mostly he was glad to see Tsuna smiling so brightly after having a worried look every time he noticed Kyoko not sitting in class.

He then turned his attention towards the window, watching it lazily as he listened to the background buzz of his classmates.

* * *

"Tsuna, why don't you walk Sasagawa home?"

Tsuna turned to look at Yamamoto with wide eyes, tilting his head to the side curiously. "Eh? Oh, uhm, I dunno…"

"I'd like that, Tsuna-kun," Kyoko piped up from beside him, smiling brightly. "Nii-chan is going to be at boxing practice, so I was going to be walking home alone anyway. This way I can show you how the flowers you gave me are doing!"

"Well, it's just…I have to be…"

"Tsuna, don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," the baseball player said blithely, grinning and folding his arms behind his head. He watched as Tsuna seemed to hesitate before he nodded and left the classroom with Kyoko once the bell had rung. Yamamoto stuck around in the room for a moment before he headed out, heading towards the stairwell that would lead to the roof. Climbing it leisurely, he shifted the bag on his shoulder that held his baseball equipment, running a hand through his short spikes momentarily.

He stepped onto the roof then, looking over to see Hibari staring off across the school's grounds, his coat swaying behind him softly. The Disciplinary Committee head looked over at him then, narrowing his eyes marginally.

"The other herbivore is missing."

"I was thinking of making a deal with you."

"A deal, herbivore?"

"Yep! See, I was thinking that, if I can avoid all of your attacks for ten minutes, then you'll have to leave Tsuna alone for the rest of the time he's going to school here. But if you manage to hit me at least once, every time Tsuna's late, you can punish me in his stead."

"Both of these conditions ensure that the smaller herbivore is not harmed at all."

"Well, yeah. Tsuna's small and nonviolent. I want to keep him that way for as long as I can. So, what do you say?"

"…I accept your deal."

"Awesome." Yamamoto grinned, dropping his bag and removing his jacket as Hibari shifted his stance, preparing himself.

"Prepare to be bitten to death."

* * *

"Hey, Tsuna-kun, where did you have to be today?"

"Oh, uhh…I just needed to talk to someone about some school work," Tsuna fibbed, smiling as he thought about the frightening Hibari. Kyoko nodded, moving the petals of the geraniums gently before looking at him again. "They're looking good."

"Mm, they are aren't they?" The girl smiled, leaning in to inhale their scent. She paused though, pulling back and frowning slightly. "Strange…they smell a bit off."

"Eh?" Tsuna leaned towards the blooms as well, inhaling. He frowned, tilting his head to the side. "…I wonder why they smell so heavily of rain..?"

"Who knows? But it's a nice smell." Kyoko smiled then, shrugging her shoulders. "Might as well not question it, right?"

"Yeah."


End file.
